Controlling means for fluid motors



July 2, 1935.

E. DAVIS CONTROLLING MEANS FOR FLUID MOTORS July Z, 1935/.

E. DAvls CONTROLLING' MEANS FOR FLUID MOTORS Original-Filedv Aug. 6, 1926 `5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Z/ zz INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS July 2, 1935. E. DAvls 2,006,629

CONTROLLING MEANS FOR FLUID MOTORS Original Filed Aug. 6, 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 I N VEN TOR.

ATTORNEYS,

July 2,'1935. E. ymms 2,005,529

CONTROLLING MEANS FOR FLUID MOTORS original Filed Aug. fs. 192s 5 sheets-sheet -4 I N VEN TOR.

BY A

A TTORNEY July 2, 1935. E. .DAVIS CONTROLLING MEANS FOR FLUID MOTORS A5 'Sheets-Sheet 5 Original` Filed Aug. 6, 1926 INVENTOR.

ATTQRNEY5,

Patented July 2, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Prosperity Company Inc., Syracuse, N.

corporation of New York Application August e, 192e, serai No. 121,114 Renewed August 3, 1933 3 Claims.

The invention relates principally to a safety control for a garment or ironing press of large size which requires two or more operators. In order to assure that an operator does not have 5 her hands betweenthe jaws of the press when it is closing, control manuals for each operator are provided and the press cannot be closed unless each manual is actuated. The invention also utilizes a master control means or valve which `is actuated from the operator actuated control valve or valves.

This invention has for one of its objects a manually controlled mechanism for power motors and particularly for iluid motors having a cylinder and a piston movable therein. A particularly simple controlling means or mechanism is devised requiring both hands of two or more operators to be used in controling the actuation ofthe motor means, so that both hands of both or all operators must be occupied during the operation of the machine to which the motor means is applied.

Another object is to construct a control mechanism utilizing a master control valve or means which is operated by operator actuated control means or Vfluid control valves.

'I'he invention consists in the novel features and in the combinations and constructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In describing this invention reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which like characters represent corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a. developed view, partly diagrammatic and partly in section, of this control means.

Figure 2 is a detail view of one of the cylinders and pistons movable therein which is suitable for use with the control means of the invention.l

Figures 3, 4 and 5 are sectional views on lines 3 3, 4-4 and 5-5 respectively of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a side elevation illustrating ythe type of pressing machine to which this actuating mechanism is particularly applicable.

'I'his actuating mechanism is applicable to machines having an opening and closing movement, as garment and laundry presses where a head closes down on a buck to apply pressure to a garment or other article on the buck, and holds its position on the buck indefinitely or during any period suiting the operator. During the closing of the press or the movement of the head trol of each operator is dependent upon or intercontrclled with the operation of. the two hand control of the otheroperator or operators so that both hands of all operators must be occupied during the closing of the press.

The invention comprises an operating mechanism which has a closing and opening movement, the closing movement being performed'by a motor, power means or other actuator, and means controlling the actuation of the motor preferably comprising a plurality of pairs of handles, one pair-being provided foreach operator. 'I'he controlling means are so constructed or interrelated with each other that the motor will not be actuated in its closing movement until all of the pairs of handles have 'been actuated. The invention also includes means for holding the motor means in operated position which preferably take the form of means which holds the master control valve or means in operated position.

This operating means or mechanism is particularly adapted to be applied to a pressing machine having a head and a buck of comparatively large area, so that more than one operator is required to operate the machine and a comparatively large motor necessary to apply the necessary pressure, and the motor instead of being one large cylinder is preferably divided up into several, here .shown as six cylinders, the six cylinders actingas a single motor. The type of machine to which this invention is applicable is illustrated in Figure 6, and includes a buck I mounted on a suitable frame 3, a head 2 carried at the forward end of a yoke or lever 4 pivoted between its ends 'to an upright 6 rising from the frame, the yoke being connected at its rear end to a motion transmitting mechanism designated generally 1 between the motor means and said yoke. A counterweight l is mounted on the rear end of the yoke 4 and also countersprings may be used in conjunction with the counterweight. 'I'he counter-- weight and springs are partof the operating means and are practically part oi' the motor and act to open the press since single acting pistons or motors are preferably used. The machine is closed by the power mechanism to be presently described, and is opened by the counterweight and countersprings. In large pressing machines oi the general type above described, but in which the'head andbuck are of large enough area to press half of a bed sheet, preferably a plurality of yok 4 are used or in other words there is a duplication of the frame parts and yokes of the general type of machine'illustrated in Figure 6.

The motor means comprises preferably a pluupon a rod movable therein, the rods being connect'ed to the actuating mechanism 1 or some part thereof. The piston II is movable in each cylinder and has a piston rod I2 connected to one of the members of the actuating or motion transmitting mechanism 1. The cylinder has heads I3 and I4 at its upper and lower ends and the upper head is provided with a pivoted bearing I5 by means of which it is pivoted to the frame 3, so that the cylinder oscillates during the movement of the piston. The head I3 is provided with an intake port I6 opening into an intake passage I1 and the piston has a valve I8 carried by a stem I9 and projecting in advance thereof, telescoping into the piston and the piston rod against the action of a spring 20. 'I'he valve 'I8 closes, or partly closes, the port I6 so that the airon first entering the cylinder starts to actuate the piston on its out stroke easily. As this port I1 is also an exhaust port, the valve I8 engages and partly closes the exhaust port I6 before the piston reaches the end of its in or upward stroke, so that the air or motive fluid then escapes more slowly and the upward movement of the piston is retarded in order that the head may not 4open up violently or with the buck terminating in a shock or jar. This form ofvmotor construction is not per se part of the invention.

, A packing gland 2I is located in the lower end of the cylinder and is formed with a rabbet having packing means 22, therein, the rabbet and packing coacting with a depending annular skirt 23 on the piston head to seal the joint between the piston head andthe cylinder when the piston is at the end of its out stroke, and is holding the press closed. This packing prevents the escape of air while the head is being held closed, the gland 2l is provided with adjustable screws 24 by means of which the gland is adjusted in the cylinder to properly coact with the piston the heads of the said screws resting on the head I4 of the cylinder. 'I'he construction of the cylinder and piston per se forms no part of this invention.

The controlling means, by which both hands of each of a plurality of operators must be employed to control the flow of a motive fluid as air to the cylinder or cylinders III, while the press is being closed, comprises a conduit system including a feed pipe 25, a valve casing 26 connected in the feed pipe, a combined intake and exhaust pipe 21k leading to the cylinder or cylinders, an intake valve 28 or preferably combined intake and exhaust valves 28 and 29 connected together by a stem 30 to act as a unit. The combined valves coact with said casing and are arranged so that the intake valve .is normally closed and the exhaust valve 29 open. A plurality of pairs of handles are provided, one pair for each operator, all of which handles must be operated and held operated to close the exhaust valve 29 and hold open the intake valve 28 so that air will pass to the cylinders III. It further consists in pressure 'operated means connected in the system to hold the combined valves in their manufally operated position as the pistons are completing their power strokes, and thus hold the press closed indefinitely. The invention further includes means operable at the will of an operator to exhaust the pressure operated holding means to permit the return of the parts to their initial position under the influence of the counterwelght 8 and countersprings.

As there are several cylinders I0 thecombln'ed intake and exhaust pipe 21 is lconnected to a header pipe 3| from which extend branches 32 to the respective cylinders. Each branch 32 is threaded into the passage I1 in the upper head I3 of its respective cylinder as seen in Figure 2. The intake valve 28 is normally held closed or against its seat and the exhaust valve 29 normally held open or away from its seat by a spring 33.

Obviously, from the operation of the combined intake'and exhaust valve 28 and 29, air will iiow4 from the feed pipe 25 through the valve casing 26 and through the pipe 21, 3I and 32 to the cylinders and actuate the pistons II on their power strokes; and when the intake valve 28 is closed and the exhaust valve 29 is opened, the air can exhaust from the cylinders through the pipes 3|, 32 and 21, valve casing 26 and out through space 29a adjacent the exhaust valve 29. 'I'he pipe 21 `leads from the casing 26 between the valves 28 and 29. In my pending application Sr. No. 671,568 filed October 29, 1923, now Patent No.

1,609,273 the combined intake and exhaust valves are operated by force from ahandle applied drectly thereto. In my present invention as there are two or more pairs of handles, which must be operated at the same time, the force controlledy The motion transmitting member 34 is com' mon to all ofthe manual means for applying force directly to the combined valves 28, 29 or to a stem 35 of the valve, which combined valves are connected to actas a unit through the connecting stem 30.

Y Two pairs of handles 36 and 31 are provided, both of which pairs must be operated to effect the closing of the press or to actuate the member 34. Two additional pairs of handles 38 and 39 are operable alternately with the pairs 36 and 31,'

that is either both pairs 36 or 31 must be operated to close the press or both pairs of handles 38 and 39 must be operated to effect the closing of the press. Either the pairs of handles 36 or 31 or-the pairs 38 or 39 may be omitted, but in the operation -of the machine to which this control system is applied, the operators when ironing some articles as sheets stand at opposite ends of the head and buck so that the handles 36 and 31 are more convenient to operate, and when ironing other shorter articles or in ironing folded sheets the operators stand in front of the `machine :where the pairs of handles 38 and 39 are more convenient.

The operation of the member 34 is controlled by the pairs of handles 36, 31 through a pressure" operated means, which acts on the member 34 to open the intake valve 28 and close the'l exhaust valve 29, when all the four handles 40, 4h42, 43v

of the groups 36 and 31 are operated. This pressure `means comprises a chamber 44 having'a diaphragm 45 therein which acts upon a movable rod or plunger 46, which in turn acts on an'arm 4.1 of the lever or member 34, the movement ofthe rod 46 .when pressure is applied in the chamber 44 against thediaghragm 45 being againstthel Adetermined distance on its power stroke.

In Figure 3, a normally open exhaust valve 58 is located in a case 5| and connected by a stem 52 to a normally closed intake valve 53 in the casing 5|, the exhaust valve having a stem 54 with which the handle 42 coacts. The casing is connected by a pipe 55 to a pipe 56 which is coupled at 51 inthe feed pipe 25. 'A suitable spring 58 holds the valve 53 closed and the exhaust valve 58 open.

In Figure 4, an exhaust valve 59 is illustrated as being the form of valve with which each of the handles 48, 4|, 43 coact, the exhaust valve being located in a casing 68, which is connected through pipes 8|, 62, 63, 64 to the pressure side of the diaphragm chamber 44. Each handle 48, 4|, 43 coacts with the stem 65 of the companion exhaust valve 59. It should be noted that an exhaust valve is a connection with a point of atmospheric pressure.

In operation, to open the valve 28 and close the exhaust valve 29 through the member 34, two operators must depress all handles 48, 4|, 42, 43 and thus close all of the exhaust valves 58 and open the intake valve 53 so that the air flows from the pipe 25 through the pipe 58, pipe 55,

casing 5|, pipe 66, pipe 63 and pipe 54 ,to the diaphragm chamber 44 and actuates the diaphragm to rock the lever 34 on its pivot 49, and as this lever acts directly on the stem 35 of the exhaust valve 29 to close said valve 29 and open the intake valve 28, air passes from the pipe 25 to the cylinders i0 and actuates the pistons on their power strokes. Unless all of the handles 48, 4|, 42 and 43 are depressed when the handle 42 is operated, the air passing through the valve casing 5| exhausts out through the normally open exhaust valves that have not been operated to their closed position, and hence preventpressure from building up in the diaphragm chamber 44 sufciently to actuate the member or lever 34.

The means for holding the press closed or the valves 28 and 29 in their operated position comprises a pressure operated means 51 connected in the conduit system to receive pressure therefrom and hold the member 34 in its operated position after the press has been closed or after the pistons have travelled a predetermined distance, 'so that it is not necessary for the operators to hold the handles 48, 4|, 42 and 43 depressed or operated after the press is closed or substantially closed, or until the piston has travelled a pre- 'I'his means for holding the valve 28 closed and the valve 29 opened is the same in general principle as that set forth in my pending application 4-before referred to. The pressure operated means 51 is a diaphragm chamber 8.1 having a diaphragm 88 therein, which acts on a plunger 58 which in turn acts on an arm of the lever 34 and this diaphragm chamber is connected in the conduit system through a pipe 18, connected to a port 15, shown in Figure 2, in one or more oi' the cylinders I8. The port 15 is located to be uncovered by the piston when the piston has travelled .a predetermined distance on its power stroke so that back pressure vf rt'fim the cylinder operates the diaphragm 68 to hold the combined valves 28 and 29 in their operated position.

As here illustrated, this back pressure is taken from but two of the cylinders |8, and the pipe 18 has branches 12 connected to blocks 13 mounted on the sides of two of the cylinders I8, these blocks 13 aving passages 'I4 therein communieating wit ports 15 in the cylinder wall, which ports 15 are arranged 'to be uncovered by the pistons when the pistons approach the ends of v the power strokes. Obviously, as the pistons do approach or substantially reach the ends of their power strokeslthe pressure from the cylinders will pass out through ports v15, passage 14, branches 12, pipe 18 to the diaphragm chamber 61 and actuate the diaphragm 88 and plunger 69 to hold the lever or member 34 in the position it has been actuated by the pressure operated means, or the other alternate pressure operated means to be presently described. The diashown in Figure 3, and the other valve-casings having vvalve construction therein similar to that in Figure 4. The valve casing 84 is connected in the pipe 56 and connected in series with the other valve casings through the pipe 88. The air or pressure passing through the valve casing 84 passes into a pressure operated means 81 similar to the pressure operated means 44, the diaphragm 88 of which acts on a plunger 89 coactlng with the lever 34 in a manner similar to that in which the plunger 46 coacts with the arm 41 of the lever 34. Both 'operators must either actuate the handles 48, 4|, 42 or 43 or the handles 88, 8|, 82, 83 and one operator cannot actuate the handles 48, 4|, or 42, 43 and the other operate the handles 88, 8| or 82,83 or in other words the'handles 48, 4| and 42, 43 are grouped together as one operating unit while the handles 88, 8| and 82, 83 are grouped together as a second operating unit.

The means for effecting the opening -of the press by releasing the pressure in the diaphragmchamber 61 includes a handle grouped with each of the other groups of handles. Each handle 98 opens an exhaust valve 9|, Figure 5, in a valve casing 92, each casing 92 being connected by avpipe 93 to the pipe 18, which leads into the diaphragm chamber 61. When any one ofthese handles 88 isv operated to open the exhaust valve 9|, obviously, the pressure will be exhausted from the diaphragm chamber' 61 permitting the main intake valve 28 to be closed by its spring 33, and by the air pressure, and the exhaust valve 28 -to open so that the air can exhaust out from the cylinders through the pipes 32, 3|, 21, valve casing 28 and exhaust port 33 and the press will be opened by its counterwelghtv and counterspring.

In operation, both operators must either depress the handles 48, 4|, 42 or 43 and hold the same depressed until the press is closed or the pistons near the ends of their power strokes whereupon the back pressure from the cylinders through the pipe 18 to the diaphragm chamber 25 to the diaphragm chamber 44, and hence open the intake valve 28 and close the exhaust valve 29, or both operators may operate the handles 80, 8|, 82 and 83 and obtain the same result through the pressure chamber 81.

When the press has been held closed by the pressure in the diaphragm chamber 61 long enough to suit the operators, either one of the operators actuates any one of the four handles 90, so that the pressurei is relieved in the diaphragm chamber 61 and the main intake valve 28 and exhaust valve 29 permitted to close under the influence of the spring 33 and the exhaust'valve 29 to open, so that the pressure in the cylinders can exhaust from the cylinders and the parts return to their starting position under the influence of the counterweight and countersprings.

Although the control means described herein is primarily intended to be used with a plurality of pairs of control handles or means, the construction is also suitable as a new and novel con-` trol utilizing a master controlled means or valve 26 which is controlled by the motive power or Huid through primary control means or valves 42 and 43 with or without the other primary control valves and 4|. -These control valves are `connected with the source of iiuid supply which actuates the motor means and the fluid pressure means or diaphragm 45 to actuate the master control valves 28 and 29.

This invention is particularly advantageous in that it provides a particularly simple and eiiicent means by which both hands of each of two or more operators must be used to effect the closing of a dangerous press.

What I claim is:

1. The combination of a single acting fluid motor comprising a cylinder, a piston movable in the cylinder, means for controlling the flow of motive fluid to and from the cylinder comprising a conduit system including a feed pipe, a valve casing connected in said pipe, a combined intake and exhaust pipe connecting the valve casing with the cylinder, an intake valve and'an exhaust valve in the valve casing normally arranged so that the intake valve is closed and the exhaustv valve open, pressure operated means for operating the valves and including a motion transmitting member common to said valves and operavalves.

tively connected thereto, supply pipes connected to the pressure operated means and to the feed pipe, valves for controlling the flow of fluid from the feed pipe through the supply pipes to the pressure operated means, a second pressure operated means connected in said system and co-A acting with said motion transmitting member to hold the intake and exhaust valve in operated position, and means for releasing the pressure from said pressure operated means.

2. The combination of a cylinder, a piston movable in the cylinder, a conduit system for a motive fluid including a feed pipe, a valve casing in the feed pipe, a combined inlet and exhaust pipe leading from the valve casing to the cylinder, combined intake and exhaust valves in the valve casing, pressure operated means and pipes connected said pressureoperated means to the feed conduit, operator-operated valves for controlling the ow of iluid from the feed conduit to the pressure operated means through said pipes, a motion transmitting member between the pressure operated means and said combined valves, a second pressure operated means coacting with said motion transmitting member and also connected inthe conduit system to hold said combined valves in their operated positions, and means for releasing the pressure from the pressure operated means.

3. The combination of a motor, means for controlling the operation of the motor, a combined intake and exhaust master valve normally arranged with the intake closed and the exhaust open, iiuid operated means for actuating the master valve, a feed conduit for the fluid, two pairs of normally open exhaust valves in the feed pipe, the valves of each pair being grouped together, a normally closed intake valve associated with one of the exhaust valves of one of the pairs, a manual for each exhaust valve of the pair, one of said manuals for exhaust valve actting as a manual for the intake valve associatedA therewith, means controlled by the operation of the motor for holding the master valve in its operated position, and a release valve for the holding means grouped with one of the pairs of the ERNEST DAVIS. 

